351
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Reyes-Jaquez B, Echols CH. Playing by the rules: self-interest information influences children's trust and trustworthiness in the absence of feedback. Cognition 2014; 134:140-54. [PMID: 25460387 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study documented how children's decisions to trust and help partners in a game depend on the game's incentives. Adults, 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds (N=128) guessed the location of hidden prizes, assisted by a partner who observed the hiding. After each hiding event the partner shared information with participants about the prize's location. Participants earned prizes every time they guessed correctly. The partner earned prizes either from participants' correct (cooperation incentive) or incorrect (competition incentive) guesses. Children and adults trusted their partner more often when the game incentivized cooperation versus competition. A complementary pattern was observed when participants assisted their partner find prizes they observed being hidden: Participants strategically shared truthful information more often when the game rewarded cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catharine H Echols
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
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352
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van den Bergh SFWM, Scheeren AM, Begeer S, Koot HM, Geurts HM. Age related differences of executive functioning problems in everyday life of children and adolescents in the autism spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:1959-71. [PMID: 24562693 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2071-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies investigated executive functioning (EF) problems in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using laboratory EF tasks. As laboratory task performances often differ from real life observations, the current study focused on EF in everyday life of 118 children and adolescents with ASD (6-18 years). We investigated age-related and individual differences in EF problems as reported by parents on the Behavioral Rating Inventory Executive Functions (BRIEF: Gioia et al. in Behavior rating inventory of executive function. Psychological Assessment Resources, Odesse 2000), and examined the association with autism severity. Inhibition problems were mostly found in the youngest group (6- to 8-year-olds), whereas problems with planning where more evident for 12- to 14-year-olds as compared to 9- to 11-year-olds. In a subsample of participants meeting the ADOS ASD cut-off criteria the age related differences in planning were absent, while problems with cognitive flexibility were less apparent in 15- to 18-year-olds, compared to 9- to 11-, and 12- to 14-year olds. EF problems surpassing the clinical cutoff were only observed in 20% (planning) to 51% (cognitive flexibility) of the children and adolescents, and no relation was found with ASD symptom severity. This underlines the heterogeneous nature of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne F W M van den Bergh
- Autism Clinic, Research and Development, Dr. Leo Kannerhuis, Houtsniplaan 1, 6865 XZ, Doorwerth, The Netherlands,
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353
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Thomas AG, Monahan KC, Lukowski AF, Cauffman E. Sleep problems across development: a pathway to adolescent risk taking through working memory. J Youth Adolesc 2014; 44:447-64. [PMID: 25213135 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-014-0179-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Problematic sleep can be detrimental to the development of important cognitive functions, such as working memory, and may have the potential for negative behavioral consequences, such as risk-taking. In this way, sleep problems may be particularly harmful for youth-whose cognitive abilities are still developing and who are more susceptible to risky behavior. Using data from a large, national, longitudinal study, continuity and change in sleep problems were examined from 2 to 15 years of age and associated with deficits in working memory at age 15 and risk taking behaviors at age 18. Participants (N = 1,364 children; 48.3% female) were assessed for sleep problems (parent-report), working memory (behavioral task), and risk taking behavior (youth self-report). The sample was predominantly White (80.4%); additional races represented in the sample included Black/African American (12.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%), American Indian/Eskimo/Aleut (.4%), and Other (4.7%). The findings suggest that sleep problems are likely to cascade across development, with sleep problems demonstrating continuity from infancy to early childhood, early childhood to middle childhood, and middle childhood to adolescence. Although sleep problems in infancy, early childhood, and middle childhood were not directly related to adolescent working memory, sleep problems during adolescence were associated with poorer adolescent working memory. In turn, these deficits in working memory were related to greater risk taking in late adolescence. In summary, the present results suggest that sleep problems in earlier periods are indicative of risk for sleep problems later in development, but that sleep problems in adolescence contribute uniquely to deficits in working memory that, in turn, lead to risky behavior during late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Gile Thomas
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 4201 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA,
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354
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Del Giudice M. Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Synthesis. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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355
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Dick AS. The development of cognitive flexibility beyond the preschool period: An investigation using a modified Flexible Item Selection Task. J Exp Child Psychol 2014; 125:13-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2014.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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356
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Lydon DM, Wilson SJ, Child A, Geier CF. Adolescent brain maturation and smoking: what we know and where we're headed. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 45:323-42. [PMID: 25025658 PMCID: PMC4451244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Smoking is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Smoking initiation often occurs during adolescence. This paper reviews and synthesizes adolescent development and nicotine dependence literatures to provide an account of adolescent smoking from onset to compulsive use. We extend neurobiological models of adolescent risk-taking, that focus on the interplay between incentive processing and cognitive control brain systems, through incorporating psychosocial and contextual factors specific to smoking, to suggest that adolescents are more vulnerable than adults to cigarette use generally, but that individual differences exist placing some adolescents at increased risk for smoking. Upon smoking, adolescents are more likely to continue smoking due to the increased positive effects induced by nicotine during this period. Continued use during adolescence, may be best understood as reflecting drug-related changes to neural systems underlying incentive processing and cognitive control, resulting in decision-making that is biased towards continued smoking. Persistent changes following nicotine exposure that may underlie continued dependence are described. We highlight ways that interventions may benefit from a consideration of cognitive-neuroscience findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Lydon
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 315 Health and Human Development - East, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
| | - Stephen J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, The College of the Liberal Arts, The Pennsylvania State University, 311 Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Amanda Child
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 315 Health and Human Development - East, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Charles F Geier
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 315 Health and Human Development - East, University Park, PA 16802, United States
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357
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Grubliauskiene A, Dewitte S. Temptation in the background: non-consummatory exposure to food temptation enhances self-regulation in boys but not in girls. Front Psychol 2014; 5:788. [PMID: 25101042 PMCID: PMC4104549 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The abundance of calorie-dense low-nutrient food in everyday life raises the question as to how children deal with such opportunities. We investigate whether pre-exposure to the object of temptation in a situation that discourages consumption boosts children's ability to resist similar temptation subsequently. We show that 7-12-year-old boys, but not girls, demonstrate increased resistance to a temptation after pre-exposure to a similar temptation. Future research might explore the role of exposure to temptation in girls.
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358
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Schiebener J, García-Arias M, García-Villamisar D, Cabanyes-Truffino J, Brand M. Developmental changes in decision making under risk: The role of executive functions and reasoning abilities in 8- to 19-year-old decision makers. Child Neuropsychol 2014; 21:759-78. [PMID: 25027746 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2014.934216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that children and adolescents often tend toward risky decisions despite explicit knowledge about the potential negative consequences. This phenomenon has been suggested to be associated with the immaturity of brain areas involved in cognitive control functions. Particularly, "frontal lobe functions," such as executive functions and reasoning, mature until young adulthood and are thought to be involved in age-related changes in decision making under explicit risk conditions. We investigated 112 participants, aged 8-19 years, with a frequently used task assessing decisions under risk, the Game of Dice Task (GDT). Additionally, we administered the Modified Card Sorting Test assessing executive functioning (categorization, cognitive flexibility, and strategy maintenance) as well as the Ravens Progressive Matrices assessing reasoning. The results showed that risk taking in the GDT decreased with increasing age and this effect was not moderated by reasoning but by executive functions: Particularly, young persons with weak executive functioning showed very risky decision making. Thus, the individual maturation of executive functions, associated with areas in the prefrontal cortex, seems to be an important factor in young peoples' behavior in risky decision-making situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Schiebener
- a Department of General Psychology: Cognition , University of Duisburg-Essen , Duisburg , Germany
| | | | - Domingo García-Villamisar
- c Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology , University of Madrid , Spain
| | - Javier Cabanyes-Truffino
- c Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology , University of Madrid , Spain.,d Department of Neurology , University Clinic of Navarra , Madrid , Spain
| | - Matthias Brand
- a Department of General Psychology: Cognition , University of Duisburg-Essen , Duisburg , Germany.,e Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Essen , Germany
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359
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Homer BD, Plass JL. Level of interactivity and executive functions as predictors of learning in computer-based chemistry simulations. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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360
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McClelland MM, Cameron CE, Duncan R, Bowles RP, Acock AC, Miao A, Pratt ME. Predictors of early growth in academic achievement: the head-toes-knees-shoulders task. Front Psychol 2014; 5:599. [PMID: 25071619 PMCID: PMC4060410 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's behavioral self-regulation and executive function (EF; including attentional or cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control) are strong predictors of academic achievement. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a measure of behavioral self-regulation called the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) by assessing construct validity, including relations to EF measures, and predictive validity to academic achievement growth between prekindergarten and kindergarten. In the fall and spring of prekindergarten and kindergarten, 208 children (51% enrolled in Head Start) were assessed on the HTKS, measures of cognitive flexibility, working memory (WM), and inhibitory control, and measures of emergent literacy, mathematics, and vocabulary. For construct validity, the HTKS was significantly related to cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control in prekindergarten and kindergarten. For predictive validity in prekindergarten, a random effects model indicated that the HTKS significantly predicted growth in mathematics, whereas a cognitive flexibility task significantly predicted growth in mathematics and vocabulary. In kindergarten, the HTKS was the only measure to significantly predict growth in all academic outcomes. An alternative conservative analytical approach, a fixed effects analysis (FEA) model, also indicated that growth in both the HTKS and measures of EF significantly predicted growth in mathematics over four time points between prekindergarten and kindergarten. Results demonstrate that the HTKS involves cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control, and is substantively implicated in early achievement, with the strongest relations found for growth in achievement during kindergarten and associations with emergent mathematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M. McClelland
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, USA
| | - Claire E. Cameron
- Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Robert Duncan
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, USA
| | - Ryan P. Bowles
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Alan C. Acock
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, USA
| | - Alicia Miao
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, USA
| | - Megan E. Pratt
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, USA
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361
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Zuk J, Benjamin C, Kenyon A, Gaab N. Behavioral and neural correlates of executive functioning in musicians and non-musicians. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99868. [PMID: 24937544 PMCID: PMC4061064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) are cognitive capacities that allow for planned, controlled behavior and strongly correlate with academic abilities. Several extracurricular activities have been shown to improve EF, however, the relationship between musical training and EF remains unclear due to methodological limitations in previous studies. To explore this further, two experiments were performed; one with 30 adults with and without musical training and one with 27 musically trained and untrained children (matched for general cognitive abilities and socioeconomic variables) with a standardized EF battery. Furthermore, the neural correlates of EF skills in musically trained and untrained children were investigated using fMRI. Adult musicians compared to non-musicians showed enhanced performance on measures of cognitive flexibility, working memory, and verbal fluency. Musically trained children showed enhanced performance on measures of verbal fluency and processing speed, and significantly greater activation in pre-SMA/SMA and right VLPFC during rule representation and task-switching compared to musically untrained children. Overall, musicians show enhanced performance on several constructs of EF, and musically trained children further show heightened brain activation in traditional EF regions during task-switching. These results support the working hypothesis that musical training may promote the development and maintenance of certain EF skills, which could mediate the previously reported links between musical training and enhanced cognitive skills and academic achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Zuk
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christopher Benjamin
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- University of California Los Angeles, Semel Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Arnold Kenyon
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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362
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Mental Set Shifting in Childhood: The Role of Working Memory and Inhibitory Control. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.1871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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363
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Bluell AM, Montgomery DE. The Influence of Stimulus Discriminability on Young Children's Interference Control in the Stroop-Like Happy–Sad Task. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2013.767261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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364
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365
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Berg CA, Hughes AE, King PS, Korbel C, Fortenberry KT, Donaldson D, Foster C, Swinyard M, Wiebe DJ. Self-Control as a Mediator of the Link Between Intelligence and HbA1c During Adolescence. CHILDRENS HEALTH CARE 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/02739615.2013.837819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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366
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Far transfer to language and math of a short software-based gaming intervention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:6443-8. [PMID: 24711403 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1320217111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) in children can be trained, but it remains unknown whether training-related benefits elicit far transfer to real-life situations. Here, we investigate whether a set of computerized games might yield near and far transfer on an experimental and an active control group of low-SES otherwise typically developing 6-y-olds in a 3-mo pretest-training-posttest design that was ecologically deployed (at school). The intervention elicits transfer to some (but not all) facets of executive function. These changes cascade to real-world measures of school performance. The intervention equalizes academic outcomes across children who regularly attend school and those who do not because of social and familiar circumstances.
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367
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Tulsky DS, Carlozzi NE, Chevalier N, Espy KA, Beaumont JL, Mungas D. V. NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB): measuring working memory. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 2014; 78:70-87. [PMID: 23952203 DOI: 10.1111/mono.12035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test, which was developed to assess processing speed within the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB). This test is a sequencing task requiring children and adults to process stimuli (presented both visually and auditorily) and sequence the stimuli according to size. We describe the development of the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test, highlighting its utility in children. We examine descriptive data, test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Results indicated that List Sorting performance was positively correlated with age indicating that performance on the task improved throughout childhood and early adolescence. Further, test-retest reliability coefficients were high and there was support for both convergent and discriminant validity. These data suggest that the NIH Toolbox List Sorting Working Memory Test is reliable and shows evidence of construct validity.
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368
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Rajan V, Cuevas K, Bell MA. The Contribution of Executive Function to Source Memory Development in Early Childhood. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2014; 15:304-324. [PMID: 24829540 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2013.763809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Age-related differences in episodic memory judgments assessing recall of fact information and the source of this information were examined. The role of executive function in supporting early episodic memory ability was also explored. Four- and 6-year-old children were taught 10 novel facts from two different sources (experimenter or puppet) and memory for both fact and source information was later tested. Measures of working memory, inhibitory control, and set-shifting were obtained to produce an indicator of children's executive function. Six-year-olds recalled more fact and source information than 4-year-olds. Regression analyses revealed that age, language ability, and executive function accounted for unique variance in children's fact recall and source recall performance. These findings suggest a link between episodic memory and executive function, and we propose that developmental investigations should further explore this association.
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369
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Sheridan M, Kharitonova M, Martin RE, Chatterjee A, Gabrieli JDE. Neural substrates of the development of cognitive control in children ages 5-10 years. J Cogn Neurosci 2014; 26:1840-50. [PMID: 24650280 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive conflict detection and resolution develops with age across childhood and likely supports age-related increases in other aspects of cognitive and emotional development. Little is known about the neural correlates of conflict detection and resolution in early childhood. In the current study, we investigated age-related change in neural recruitment during a blocked spatial-incompatibility task (Simon task) in children ages 5-10 years using fMRI. Cortical thickness was measured using structural MRI. Across all children, there was greater activation in right prefrontal and bilateral parietal cortices for incompatible than compatible conditions. In older children, compared with younger children, there was decreased activation and decreased gray matter thickness in the medial PFC. Thickness and activation changes across age were associated within participants, such that thinner cortex was associated with less activation in the rostral ACC. These findings suggest that developmental change in medial PFC activation supports performance on cognitive control tasks in early childhood.
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370
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Winter W, Sheridan M. Previous reward decreases errors of commission on later 'No-Go' trials in children 4 to 12 years of age: evidence for a context monitoring account. Dev Sci 2014; 17:797-807. [PMID: 24636228 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory control is widely hypothesized to be the cornerstone of executive function in childhood and the central deficit in a number of developmental disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, recent evidence from adults indicates that performance on response inhibition tasks may primarily reflect non-inhibitory attentional control (context monitoring) processes. Yet it may be that inhibition plays a more central role in childhood - a time when the architecture of cognitive processes might be more transparent due to wide variability in skill level. Here we directly test inhibitory and context monitoring explanations of task performance on a Go/No-Go task in a large group of children 4-12 years of age. We conclude that traditional inhibitory conceptualizations of task performance on the Go/No-Go task cannot account for our findings, calling into question evidence supporting a central role for inhibitory control in cognitive development or developmental psychopathology.
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371
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Thissen AJAM, Rommelse NNJ, Hoekstra PJ, Hartman C, Heslenfeld D, Luman M, van Lieshout M, Franke B, Oosterlaan J, Buitelaar JK. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and executive functioning in affected and unaffected adolescents and their parents: challenging the endophenotype construct. Psychol Med 2014; 44:881-892. [PMID: 23721667 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291713001153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The results of twin and sibling studies suggest that executive functioning is a prime candidate endophenotype in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, studies have not assessed the co-segregation of executive function (EF) deficits from parents to offspring directly, and it is unclear whether executive functioning is an ADHD endophenotype in adolescents, given the substantial changes in prefrontal lobe functioning, EF and ADHD symptoms during adolescence. METHOD We recruited 259 ADHD and 98 control families with an offspring average age of 17.3 years. All participants were assessed for ADHD and EF [inhibition, verbal (VWM) and visuospatial working memory (VsWM)]. Data were analysed using generalized estimating equations (GEEs). RESULTS Parental ADHD was associated with offspring ADHD and parental EF was associated with offspring EF but there were no cross-associations (parental ADHD was not associated with offspring EF or vice versa). Similar results were found when siblings were compared. EF deficits were only found in affected adolescents and not in their unaffected siblings or (un)affected parents. CONCLUSIONS The core EFs proposed to be aetiologically related to ADHD, that is working memory and inhibition, seem to be aetiologically independent of ADHD in adolescence. EF deficits documented in childhood in unaffected siblings were no longer present in adolescence, suggesting that children 'grow out' of early EF deficits. This is the first study to document ADHD and EF in a large family sample with adolescent offspring. The results suggest that, after childhood, the majority of influences on ADHD are independent from those on EF. This has potential implications for current aetiological models of causality in ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J A M Thissen
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N N J Rommelse
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - P J Hoekstra
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - C Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - M Luman
- VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - B Franke
- Departments of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - J K Buitelaar
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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372
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Chevalier N, Blaye A, Maintenant C. La représentation du but dans le contrôle exécutif chez l’enfant. PSYCHOLOGIE FRANCAISE 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.psfr.2013.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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373
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Kaushanskaya M, Gross M, Buac M. Effects of classroom bilingualism on task-shifting, verbal memory, and word learning in children. Dev Sci 2014; 17:564-83. [PMID: 24576079 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We examined the effects of classroom bilingual experience in children on an array of cognitive skills. Monolingual English-speaking children were compared with children who spoke English as the native language and who had been exposed to Spanish in the context of dual-immersion schooling for an average of 2 years. The groups were compared on a measure of non-linguistic task-shifting; measures of verbal short-term and working memory; and measures of word learning. The two groups of children did not differ on measures of non-linguistic task-shifting and verbal short-term memory. However, the classroom-exposure bilingual group outperformed the monolingual group on the measure of verbal working memory and a measure of word learning. Together, these findings indicate that while exposure to a second language in a classroom setting may not be sufficient to engender changes in cognitive control, it can facilitate verbal memory and verbal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Kaushanskaya
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
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374
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Heiphetz L, Spelke ES, Banaji MR. The Formation of Belief-Based Social Preferences. SOCIAL COGNITION 2014. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2014.32.1.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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375
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Friedman SL, Scholnick EK, Bender RH, Vandergrift N, Spieker S, Hirsh Pasek K, Keating DP, Park Y. Planning in Middle Childhood: Early Predictors and Later Outcomes. Child Dev 2014; 85:1446-60. [PMID: 24476334 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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376
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Panerai S, Tasca D, Ferri R, Genitori D'Arrigo V, Elia M. Executive Functions and Adaptive Behaviour in Autism Spectrum Disorders with and without Intellectual Disability. PSYCHIATRY JOURNAL 2014; 2014:941809. [PMID: 24829905 PMCID: PMC3994905 DOI: 10.1155/2014/941809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been often investigated, although results seem to be rather inconsistent. The first aim of this study was to detect which EF components are common to the ASD continuum (from high- to low-functioning ASD) and identify a possible EF profile for ASD people. Planning, mental flexibility, inhibition of response, generativity, and ecologic EF were investigated. This study was extended not only to high-functioning ASD, but also to ASD with intellectual disability (ID). The second aim was to find EF aspects correlating with adaptive skills in ASD. A total of 61 children participated in the study (27 ASD with and without ID and 34 controls). Results highlight an executive profile characterised by impaired flexibility and deficient planning; these deficits are associated with decreased adaptive ability, particularly socialization, and a deficient shifting in ecologic conditions. These features are present in all ASD subgroups with and without ID; for this reason, they might be assumed as being specific features in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Domenica Tasca
- IRCCS Oasi Maria SS., Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy
| | - Raffaele Ferri
- IRCCS Oasi Maria SS., Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy
| | | | - Maurizio Elia
- IRCCS Oasi Maria SS., Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy
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377
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Vukovic RK, Fuchs LS, Geary DC, Jordan NC, Gersten R, Siegler RS. Sources of individual differences in children's understanding of fractions. Child Dev 2014; 85:1461-76. [PMID: 24433246 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Longitudinal associations of domain-general and numerical competencies with individual differences in children's understanding of fractions were investigated. Children (n = 163) were assessed at 6 years of age on domain-general (nonverbal reasoning, language, attentive behavior, executive control, visual-spatial memory) and numerical (number knowledge) competencies; at 7 years on whole-number arithmetic computations and number line estimation; and at 10 years on fraction concepts. Mediation analyses controlling for general mathematics ability and general academic ability revealed that numerical and mathematical competencies were direct predictors of fraction concepts, whereas domain-general competencies supported the acquisition of fraction concepts via whole-number arithmetic computations or number line estimation. Results indicate multiple pathways to fraction competence.
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378
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Krafft CE, Schwarz NF, Chi L, Weinberger AL, Schaeffer DJ, Pierce JE, Rodrigue AL, Yanasak NE, Miller PH, Tomporowski PD, Davis CL, McDowell JE. An 8-month randomized controlled exercise trial alters brain activation during cognitive tasks in overweight children. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2014; 22:232-42. [PMID: 23788510 PMCID: PMC4077546 DOI: 10.1002/oby.20518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Children who are less fit reportedly have lower performance on tests of cognitive control and differences in brain function. This study examined the effect of an exercise intervention on brain function during two cognitive control tasks in overweight children. DESIGN AND METHODS Participants included 43 unfit, overweight (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) children 8- to 11-years old (91% Black), who were randomly divided into either an aerobic exercise (n = 24) or attention control group (n = 19). Each group was offered a separate instructor-led after-school program every school day for 8 months. Before and after the program, all children performed two cognitive control tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): antisaccade and flanker. RESULTS Compared to the control group, the exercise group decreased activation in several regions supporting antisaccade performance, including precentral gyrus and posterior parietal cortex, and increased activation in several regions supporting flanker performance, including anterior cingulate and superior frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS Exercise may differentially impact these two task conditions, or the paradigms in which cognitive control tasks were presented may be sensitive to distinct types of brain activation that show different effects of exercise. In sum, exercise appears to alter efficiency or flexible modulation of neural circuitry supporting cognitive control in overweight children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E Krafft
- Psychology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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379
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Vugs B, Hendriks M, Cuperus J, Verhoeven L. Working memory performance and executive function behaviors in young children with SLI. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2014; 35:62-74. [PMID: 24240018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Revised: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The present study compared the performances of young children with specific language impairment (SLI) to that of typically developing (TD) children on cognitive measures of working memory (WM) and behavioral ratings of executive functions (EF). The Automated Working Memory Assessment was administered to 58 children with SLI and 58 TD children aged 4 and 5 years. Additionally, parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool Version. The results showed the SLI group to perform significantly worse than the TD group on both cognitive and behavioral measures of WM. The deficits in WM performance were not restricted to the verbal domain, but also affected visuospatial WM. The deficits in EF behaviors included problems with inhibition, shifting, emotional control, and planning/organization. The patterns of associations between WM performance and EF behaviors differed for the SLI versus TD groups. WM performance significantly discriminated between young children with SLI and TD, with 89% of the children classified correctly. The data indicate domain general impairments in WM and problems in EF behaviors in young children with SLI. Attention should thus be paid to WM - both verbal and visuospatial - and EF in clinical practice. Implications for assessment and remediation were discussed.
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380
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Bridgett DJ, Burt NM, Laake LM, Oddi KB. Maternal self-regulation, relationship adjustment, and home chaos: contributions to infant negative emotionality. Infant Behav Dev 2013; 36:534-47. [PMID: 23748168 PMCID: PMC3786036 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Revised: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
There has been increasing interest in the direct and indirect effects of parental self-regulation on children's outcomes. In the present investigation, the effects of maternal self-regulation, home chaos, and inter-parental relationship adjustment on broad and specific indicators of infant negative emotionality (NE) were examined. A sample of maternal caregivers and their 4-month-old infants (N = 85) from a rural community participated. Results demonstrated that better maternal self-regulation was associated with lower infant NE broadly, as well as with lower infant sadness and distress to limitations/frustration and better falling reactivity (i.e., emotion regulation), specifically. Maternal self-regulation also predicted less chaotic home environments and better maternal inter-parental relationship adjustment. Findings also supported the indirect effects of maternal self-regulation on broad and specific indicators of infant NE through home chaos and maternal relationship adjustment. Some differential effects were also identified. Elevated home chaos appeared to specifically affect infant frustration/distress to limitations whereas maternal relationship adjustment affected broad infant NE, as well as several specific indicators of infant NE: frustration/distress to limitations, sadness, and falling reactivity. In conjunction with other recent investigations that have reported the effects of maternal self-regulation on parenting, the findings in the present investigation suggest that parental self-regulation may influence children's outcomes through several proximal environmental pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Bridgett
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, United States.
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381
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Thomas E, Reeve R, Pietrzak R, Maruff P. Disentangling component learning and executive processes in hidden pathway maze learning in children: A process-based approach. Child Neuropsychol 2013; 19:588-600. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2012.704010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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382
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Executive and visuo-motor function in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 43:1222-35. [PMID: 23011252 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1668-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This study broadly examines executive (EF) and visuo-motor function in 30 adolescent and adult individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to 28 controls matched for age, gender, and IQ. ASD individuals showed impaired spatial working memory, whereas planning, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition were spared. Pure movement execution during visuo-motor information processing also was intact. In contrast, execution time of reading, naming, and of visuo-motor information processing tasks including a choice component was increased in the ASD group. Results of this study are in line with previous studies reporting only minimal EF difficulties in older individuals with ASD when assessed by computerized tasks. The finding of impaired visuo-motor information processing should be accounted for in further neuropsychological studies in ASD.
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383
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Perception-action development from infants to adults: perceiving affordances for reaching through openings. J Exp Child Psychol 2013; 117:92-105. [PMID: 24149378 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2013.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Revised: 09/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Perceiving possibilities for action-affordances-requires sensitivity, accuracy, and consistency. In the current study, we tested children of different ages (16-month-olds to 7-year-olds) and adults to examine the development of affordance perception for reaching through openings of various sizes. Using a psychophysical procedure, we estimated individual affordance functions to characterize participants' actual ability to fit their hand through openings and individual decision functions to characterize attempts to reach. Decisions were less accurate in younger children (16-month-olds to 5-year-olds); they were more likely to attempt impossible openings and to touch openings prior to refusing, suggesting a slow developmental trend in learning to perceive affordances for fitting through openings. However, analyses of multiple outcome measures revealed that the youngest participants were equally consistent in their decision making as the oldest ones and that every age group showed sensitivity to changes in the environment by scaling their attempts to opening size.
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384
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Lambourne K, Hansen DM, Szabo AN, Lee J, Herrmann SD, Donnelly JE. Indirect and direct relations between aerobic fitness, physical activity, and academic achievement in elementary school students. Ment Health Phys Act 2013; 6:165-171. [PMID: 25984236 PMCID: PMC4432844 DOI: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is evidence to suggest that increasing physical activity (PA) improves academic achievement (AA) in children and that aerobic fitness is associated with both cognitive function and AA. However, it is not known how these variables are interrelated and analyses with adequate control for socioeconomic variables are needed. It was hypothesized that PA would not directly affect AA but would have an indirect effect on AA through its effect on aerobic fitness. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesized mediation using path analysis. METHODS Cross-sectional data including AA, aerobic fitness, and daily PA assessed through accelerometry were collected from a large sample (N = 687) of 2nd and 3rd grade students. Demographic data were assessed via parent self-report. RESULTS A total of 401 students wore the accelerometer for at least 10 hours on 3 days or more and were included in the final path analysis to evaluate potential relations among PA (predictor), aerobic fitness (mediator), and WIAT-III subtest standard scores (outcomes; i.e., reading, spelling, and mathematics). Findings showed a direct effect of PA on aerobic fitness (b = 0.009, p < 0.001) and an indirect effect (mediation) of PA via fitness on math achievement (b = 0.003, p < 0.01) after controlling for student's grade, gender, body mass index, mother's education level, and household income, as well as intraclass correlations among classes and schools. Neither PA nor aerobic fitness were correlated with WIAT-III reading or spelling scores. CONCLUSIONS Mediation analysis indicated that PA exerted an influence on math achievement through its effects on aerobic fitness but was not associated with reading or spelling achievement scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lambourne
- Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA.
| | - D M Hansen
- Department of Psychology and Research in Education, The University of Kansas, 1122 West Campus Road, Lawrence, KS, 66045 USA.
| | - A N Szabo
- Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA.
| | - J Lee
- Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis, The University of Kansas, 1425 Jayhawk Boulevard, Watson RM 470, Lawrence, KS 66045 USA.
| | - S D Herrmann
- Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA.
| | - J E Donnelly
- Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA.
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385
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Kliegel M, Mahy CEV, Voigt B, Henry JD, Rendell PG, Aberle I. The development of prospective memory in young schoolchildren: the impact of ongoing task absorption, cue salience, and cue centrality. J Exp Child Psychol 2013; 116:792-810. [PMID: 24056203 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2013.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Revised: 07/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study presents evidence that 9- and 10-year-old children outperform 6- and 7-year-old children on a measure of event-based prospective memory and that retrieval-based factors systematically influence performance and age differences. All experiments revealed significant age effects in prospective memory even after controlling for ongoing task performance. In addition, the provision of a less absorbing ongoing task (Experiment 1), higher cue salience (Experiment 2), and cues appearing in the center of attention (Experiment 3) were each associated with better performance. Of particular developmental importance was an age by cue centrality (in or outside of the center of attention) interaction that emerged in Experiment 3. Thus, age effects were restricted to prospective memory cues appearing outside of the center of attention, suggesting that the development of prospective memory across early school years may be modulated by whether a cue requires overt monitoring beyond the immediate attentional context. Because whether a cue is in or outside of the center of attention might determine the amount of executive control needed in a prospective memory task, findings suggest that developing executive control resources may drive prospective memory development across primary school age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Kliegel
- Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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386
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Veroude K, Jolles J, Knežević M, Vos C, Croiset G, Krabbendam L. Anterior cingulate activation during cognitive control relates to academic performance in medical students. Trends Neurosci Educ 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2013.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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387
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Dai CT, Chang YK, Huang CJ, Hung TM. Exercise mode and executive function in older adults: an ERP study of task-switching. Brain Cogn 2013; 83:153-62. [PMID: 23994460 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2013.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between exercise mode and executive function and its effect on behavior and neuroelectric activity. Forty-eight older adults were classified into open-skill, closed-skill, and irregular exercise groups based on their experience of exercise participation. Executive function was measured via a task-switching paradigm, in which the behavioral indices and event-related potentials elicited by task-switching were assessed. The results revealed that the exercise groups, regardless of the exercise mode, exhibited faster reaction times in both global and local switches than the irregular exercise group, regardless of the within-task conditions. Similarly, larger P3 amplitudes were observed in both exercise groups compared to the irregular exercise group. Moreover, additional facilitation effects of open-skill exercises on global switch costs were observed, whereas no differences in local switch costs were found among the three groups. The results replicate previous studies that have reported generally improved executive function after participation in exercises; additionally, they extend the current knowledge by indicating that these cognitive improvements in specific aspects of executive function could also be obtained from open-skill exercises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Ta Dai
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taiwan, ROC
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388
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Macdonald JA, Beauchamp MH, Crigan JA, Anderson PJ. Age-related differences in inhibitory control in the early school years. Child Neuropsychol 2013; 20:509-26. [PMID: 23909718 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2013.822060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The transition to school is associated with a greater requirement to inhibit irrelevant or inappropriate thought and behavior in order to concentrate on effective learning and to interact successfully with peers. Current knowledge of inhibitory control development in the early school years is limited due to a lack of normative data from age-appropriate, sensitive measures. In this study, three pictorial versions of the Stroop task were administered to investigate inhibitory control development in early school-aged children. Age-related trajectories of inhibition and effects of gender were examined in 80 children (42 boys) aged 5 to 8 years. All children were assessed with the Cognitive Assessment System Expressive Attention subtest (Big-Small Stroop), Fruit Stroop, and Boy-Girl Stroop. The Big-Small Stroop revealed substantial age-related improvement in inhibition from 5 to 7 years with a levelling of performance at 8 years of age, while the Fruit Stroop and Boy-Girl Stroop demonstrated clear but nonsignificant age trends. In particular, older children committed fewer errors and corrected their errors more frequently than younger children. Performance on all Stroop tasks correlated significantly, providing evidence that they tap similar cognitive abilities. Some gender differences were found. This study indicates that inhibitory skills develop rapidly in the early school years and suggests that error awareness may be a useful indicator of the development of cognitive inhibition for this age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqui A Macdonald
- a Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences , University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Australia
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389
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Villegas-Pantoja MA, Alonso-Castillo MM, Benavides-Torres RA, Guzmán-Facundo FR. Alcohol Consumption and Executive Functions in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. AQUICHAN 2013. [DOI: 10.5294/aqui.2013.13.2.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objetivo: el consumo de alcohol entre los estudiantes universitarios se ha convertido en una preocupación creciente en los últimosaños, por lo que este estudio fue desarrollado con el objetivo de identificar el consumo de esta sustancia entre los estudiantes de enfermería.Método: se trata de un estudio transversal desarrollado en una universidad privada en la ciudad de Río de Janeiro, Brasil, con 161estudiantes que respondieron a un cuestionario autoadministrado que contiene información sociodemográfica, preguntas seleccionadasdel Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test y otros aspectos relacionados con el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas. Resultados: alta proporción(67,7 %) de los estudiantes de enfermería entrevistados reportó ser consumidores de alcohol, y el 32,1 % de ellos estaban en laorgía de consumo estándar, y casi la mitad (45,9 %) de los consumidores están expuestos al riesgo de desarrollar problemas relacionadoscon el consumo de esta sustancia. Resultados: están preocupados por el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas de los estudiantes de enfermeríaque participaron en este estudio, ya que son los futuros profesionales que inevitablemente actúan como educadores y motivadorespara la adopción de conductas saludables en la población. Conclusión: por lo tanto, se necesitan políticas y programas para prevenir elconsumo excesivo de alcohol en esta población.
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390
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Boussicault G, Nguyen The Tich S, Branger B, Guimard P, Florin A, Rozé JC, Flamant C. The Global School Adaptation score: a new neurodevelopmental assessment tool for very preterm children at five years of age. J Pediatr 2013; 163:460-4. [PMID: 23453546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.01.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Revised: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the usefulness of a neurodevelopmental assessment tool consisting of a questionnaire administered to teachers to measure the Global School Adaptation (GSA) scores of very preterm children at the age of 5 years. STUDY DESIGN A sample of 445 very preterm children (<35 weeks of gestation) was assessed at 5 years of age using GSA and IQ scores. According to the consistency between the scores, children were determined to be well classified, intermediately classified, or misclassified. The differences between groups were assessed through univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS The GSA score was highly or intermediately consistent with the IQ score for 89.2% of the children, and 10.8% were considered misclassified. Children with a higher GSA than IQ score had more autonomy and self-confidence (P < .01), and those with a lower GSA than IQ score had more behavioral problems (P < .01). Analysis by logistic regression showed that sex and gestational age significantly affected the consistency between the 2 scores. Thus, girls were less likely to have a lower GSA than IQ score (aOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24-0.84; P = .01), and a lower gestational age significantly increased the likelihood of having a higher GSA than IQ score (for children born between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation: aOR = 2.70; 95% CI: 1.23-5.92; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS The GSA score is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable screening tool for assessing neurodevelopment in very preterm children at 5 years of age.
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391
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Cortical gray-matter thinning is associated with age-related improvements on executive function tasks. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2013; 6:61-71. [PMID: 23896579 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2012] [Revised: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Across development children show marked improvement in their executive functions (EFs), including the ability to hold information in working memory and to deploy cognitive control, allowing them to ignore prepotent responses in favor of newly learned behaviors. How does the brain support these age-related improvements? Age-related cortical gray-matter thinning, thought to result from selective pruning of inefficient synaptic connections and increases in myelination, may support age-related improvements in EFs. Here we used structural MRI to measure cortical thickness. We investigate the association between cortical thickness in three cortical regions of interest (ROIs), and age-related changes in cognitive control and working memory in 5-10 year old children. We found significant associations between reductions in cortical thickness and age-related improvements in performance on both working memory and cognitive control tasks. Moreover, we observed a dissociation between ROIs typically thought to underlie changes in cognitive control (right Inferior Frontal gyrus and Anterior Cingulate cortex) and age-related improvements in cognitive control, and ROIs for working memory (superior parietal cortex), and age-related changes in a working memory task. These data add to our growing understanding of how structural maturation of the brain supports vast behavioral changes in executive functions observed across childhood.
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392
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Metz SM, Frank JL, Reibel D, Cantrell T, Sanders R, Broderick PC. The Effectiveness of the Learning to BREATHE Program on Adolescent Emotion Regulation. RESEARCH IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/15427609.2013.818488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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393
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Senturk N, Yeniceri N, Alp IE, Altan-Atalay A. An Exploratory Study on the Junior Brixton Spatial Rule Attainment Test in 6- to 8-Year-Olds. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/0734282913490917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study explored the Junior Brixton Test (JBT), an executive function (EF) measure for children, in comparison to the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in a sample of 6- to 8-year-olds, all attending the first 2 years of elementary school. Factor analyses indicated two main domains in both measures, namely concept formation and cognitive flexibility. However, within the cognitive flexibility domain of the JBT, perseveration scores reflected qualitatively different perseverative errors. More specifically, perseveration of previous rule and same stimulus scores loaded on the same subcomponent, whereas perseveration of same response loaded on another. The latter score was also negatively correlated both with a measure of general reasoning ability and a memory span task. The authors argue that the JBT is a promising tool to explore individual variations behind seemingly one type of executive function error, namely perseveration.
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394
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Les déficiences d’utilisation stratégique chez l’enfant à la lumière de l’autorégulation : étape développementale ou caractéristique différentielle ? ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2013. [DOI: 10.4074/s0003503313002078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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395
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Neuenschwander R, Cimeli P, Röthlisberger M, Roebers CM. Personality factors in elementary school children: Contributions to academic performance over and above executive functions? LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2012.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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396
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Clerc J. Les déficiences d’utilisation stratégique chez l’enfant à la lumière de l’autorégulation : étape développementale ou caractéristique différentielle ? ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2013. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy.132.0287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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397
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Leve LD, DeGarmo DS, Bridgett DJ, Neiderhiser JM, Shaw DS, Harold GT, Natsuaki MN, Reiss D. Using an adoption design to separate genetic, prenatal, and temperament influences on toddler executive function. Dev Psychol 2013; 49:1045-57. [PMID: 22799580 PMCID: PMC3509265 DOI: 10.1037/a0029390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Poor executive functioning has been implicated in children's concurrent and future behavioral difficulties, making work aimed at understanding processes related to the development of early executive function (EF) critical for models of developmental psychopathology. Deficits in EF have been associated with adverse prenatal experiences, genetic influences, and temperament characteristics. However, our ability to disentangle the predictive and independent effects of these influences has been limited by a dearth of genetically informed research designs that also consider prenatal influences. The present study examined EF and language development in a sample of 361 toddlers who were adopted at birth and reared in nonrelative adoptive families. Predictors included genetic influences (as inherited from birth mothers), prenatal risk, and growth in child negative emotionality. Structural equation modeling indicated that the effect of prenatal risk on toddler effortful attention at age 27 months became nonsignificant once genetic influences were considered in the model. In addition, genetic influences had unique effects on toddler effortful attention. Latent growth modeling indicated that increases in toddler negative emotionality from 9 to 27 months were associated with poorer delay of gratification and poorer language development. Similar results were obtained in models incorporating birth father data. Mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of EF deficits are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie D Leve
- Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, Oregon 97401, USA.
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398
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Abstract
Individual differences in infant attention are theorized to reflect the speed of information processing and are related to later cognitive abilities (i.e., memory, language, and intelligence). This study provides the first systematic longitudinal analysis of infant attention and early childhood executive function (EF; e.g., working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility). A group of 5-month-olds (n = 201) were classified as short or long lookers. At 24, 36, and 48 months of age, children completed age-appropriate EF tasks. Infant short lookers (i.e., more efficient information processors) exhibited higher EF throughout early childhood as compared to infant long lookers, even after controlling for verbal ability (a potential indicator of intelligence). These findings are discussed in relation to the emergence of executive attention.
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399
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Chevalier N, Huber KL, Wiebe SA, Espy KA. Qualitative change in executive control during childhood and adulthood. Cognition 2013; 128:1-12. [PMID: 23562979 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 02/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Executive control development typically has been conceptualized to result from quantitative changes in the efficiency of the underlying processes. In contrast, the present study addressed the possibility of qualitative change with age by examining how children and adults detect task switches. Participants in three age groups (5- and 10-year-old children, young adults) completed two conditions of a cued task-switching paradigm where task cues were presented either in isolation or in conjunction with transition cues. Five-year-olds performed better with transition cues, whereas the reverse effect was observed at age 10 and with adults. Unlike 5-year-olds who detect switches after semantically processing cues, older participants strategically detect switches based on perceptual processing only. Age-related qualitative changes promote increasingly optimal adjustment of executive resources with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Chevalier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0345, United States.
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400
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Verburgh L, Königs M, Scherder EJA, Oosterlaan J. Physical exercise and executive functions in preadolescent children, adolescents and young adults: a meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2013; 48:973-9. [DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 307] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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